"The ultimate goal of
guided reading is to help children learn how to use independent reading
strategies successfully."

Fountas and Su Pinnell, 1996

What is guided
reading?

Guided reading is
small group instruction in which the teacher "guides" students through a
text that is at the children's instructional reading level.
The role of the teacher is crucial in guided reading. Guided reading is
planned, focused instruction. The ultimate goal is to foster
independent readers.

How do I create my guided reading
groups?

Use
running records to find the
instructional reading levels of each student using
leveled readers. I like
using Reading A-Z but you do have to pay for a subscription (in my
opinion worth every penny).

Once you find each
students' reading level, group them according to level. You
may have groups as large as 6 or as small as 1. Make sure
groups are no bigger than 6 although 5 would be ideal. If
you do not want to have too many groups, try to group students'
with the closest levels possible.

Selecting
the text - Teachers must make choose text that is on the
group's instructional reading level. That means that the text is
neither to easy nor too difficult for the children to read.

Introducing
the text - Tap into children's background knowledge or provide
background knowledge of the text. Teachers should also

explain
important ideas and concepts

do a picture
walk of the text

discuss plot
or theme of the story

point out new
vocabulary

draw
children's attention to certain details important to the story
(i.e. use of verbs, punctuation, text features, etc.)

During
reading:

Supporting
effective reading - Students read text individually, either
silently or whispering using whisper phones. Teacher listens in on
each student, providing guidance and support on strategies when
needed.